Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sent an urgent appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari urging him to “urgently instruct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mr Abukabar Malami, SAN to work with appropriate ministries and agencies to identify, publish and use confiscated stolen assets as isolation centres.”

SERAP said: “Using confiscated assets as isolation centres would provide safe and enabling environments for the treatment and care of people, improve the authorities’ ability to respond to COVID-19, reduce the risks to Nigerians and to public health.”

The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire had last week reportedly begged Nigerians to donate and temporarily make their buildings available as isolation centres. According to him, more buildings would be needed, as the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) aims to test two million people in the next three months.

In the urgent appeal dated 2 May, 2020 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization said: “While it is important to ramp-up testing for COVID-19 to prevent the spread of the virus, asking Nigerians to donate their buildings as isolation centres would be counter-productive, as it would put them at greater risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19.

SERAP also said: “Rather than begging Nigerians to donate their buildings as isolation centres, the authorities should identify, publish and use confiscated assets as isolation centres, as a temporary measure. Using confiscated assets as isolation centres would be proportionate, necessary, and serve a legitimate objective, namely to protect public health and public order (ordre public).”

According to SERAP, “The proposed measure would be lawful, and more effective, as it would be in the public interest. Using the confiscated assets as proposed would neither violate the accused’s right to property nor entail a duty to compensate. The proposal by the Minister of Health would pose unnecessary risks to public health.”

The urgent appeal, read in part: “SERAP urges you to ask Mr Malami to urgently work out the details and modalities for implementing these recommendations with the Ministry of Health, Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).”

“SERAP urges you to ask the Minister of Health to drop the idea of begging Nigerians to donate their buildings as isolation centres, and to move swiftly to focus on implementing these recommendations as a step towards effectively reducing the spread of COVID-19, treating and caring for people, and fulfilling the right to health, in line with Nigeria’s human rights obligations and the sustainable development goals.”

“Our recommendations, apart from being entirely compatible with Nigeria’s international anti-corruption obligations including the UN Convention against Corruption, which has been ratified, would also enhance the ability of the authorities to effectively and satisfactorily respond to COVID-19.”

“Reducing health risks associated with Nigerians donating their buildings as isolation centres would complement the authorities’ objectives of ending COVID-19.”

“As the right to health is closely related to and dependent upon the realization of other human rights, including the right to private and family life, asking Nigerians to donate their buildings as isolation centres may also violate this fundamental human right.”

“The recommendations would also enhance the ability of the authorities to effectively implement the country’s international human rights obligations particularly regarding to take effective steps to prevent, treat, and combat epidemic, endemic and other diseases, such as COVID-19.”

“SERAP’s request is also in line with the repeated public commitment by your government to provide details and locations of all recovered stolen public funds.”

“Publishing confiscated assets would also be entirely consistent with the judgment by Justice Hadiza Rabiu Shagari of the Federal High Court, Lagos, which ordered your government to tell Nigerians about the stolen assets it allegedly recovered.”

“The judgment was delivered in July 2017 following a Freedom of Information suit number: FHC/CS/964/2016 brought by SERAP. Your government has refused to obey the judgment, despite Mr Malami publicly promising to do so.”

“We hope that the aspects highlighted will help guide your actions in acting to ensure enabling environments as isolation centres to treat and care for Nigerians, as the NCDC takes steps to ramp up testing for COVID-19.”

Copied in the urgent appeal are: Mr Abukabar Malami; Dr Osagie Ehanire; Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, Director General, NCDC; Professor Bolaji Owasanoye, Chairman, ICPC; and Ibrahim Mustafa Magu, Acting Chairman, EFCC.

http://serap-nigeria.org/covid-19-serap-asks-buhari-to-use-confiscated-stolen-assets-as-isolation-centres.ngo/

As if the federal govt will even listen

Nice idea.
But oga at top will say nah.

And Ganduje has rejected a hospital donated to the state to serve as an isolation center by his political rival.

I will love to donate my 2 bedroom mud flat to FG.

About 95%of the seized properties are situated in Abuja and Lagos.....But we need more isolation centres in other states to manage the situation....



Also, it's not all about isolation centres, it's about having the test strips and ventilators and medical tools and equipments to see to the people that will be testing positive....


Also, while doing this, the government should put people into making adequate research to find permanent treatments and drugs to treat the virus with days....


We have medical researchers.... they should be really empowered and supported.... Even as W.H.O have given the country a licence to produce vaccines as well..

Brilliant idea,l really have to commend Serap lately

Meanwhile

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Who even knows if Buhari has not shared the seized buildings to his friends and families. This government is so shameless that they can even beg for COVID-19 support or donation from the dead. Bambiala government.

“While it is important to ramp-up testing for COVID-19 to prevent the spread of the virus, asking Nigerians to donate their buildings as isolation centres would be counter-productive, as it would put them at greater risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19.

This is where I am having problem with the way the federal government is handling this coronavirus scourge. They need to increase daily testing for covid-19. Previously they said that 4000 cases will be tested on a daily basis. However, up till now only 13k cases have been tested nationwide. This is very disheartening.

Please follow WHO guidelines and remain protected.

Imagine non of them could think of those recovered properties to be used as isolation centres abi those properties na for decoration This is what u get when u have those old people who are suppose to be babysitting their grandchildren run the affairs of a nation..none of them can't even think towards that way but can think of begging people to release their properties for isolation abeg person wey get property dey follow una share una loots

Nice point(s) they gat there...Oil dey their head.

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They have already sold and share everything to their family and friends! anyway can you please help me to check out the thread i created up on my profile!

Even without telling him, isn’t he supposed to know that?

University and polytechnic students are at home. Why not convert their hostels to isolation centres? Just thinking


But then, SERAP's suggestion is a brilliant idea. Unfortunately, it would be ignored . I've never seen a deafer government than the present one

Sense will not kill dis serap pipu aswear

Abi na... It's the country's property after all.

Better. So we won't be hearing we spent N6 billion on the Isolation center that rain destroyed.

Beremx:
Even without telling him, isn’t he supposed to know that?

He’s not that wise.

This is the right thing to do

U don dey get sense

Good Idea.... Our Govt are dumb na

Bukola Saraki's two houses that were confiscated by FG in Lagos will be used as Isolation Center.

ImPatience Jonaddaft's houses that were confiscated by FG will be as Isolation Center.

Professor Ojerinde the rogue former JAMB DG houses that were confiscated by FG will be used as Isolation Center.

And they should start with Tinubu...

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vikkeee:
As if the federal govt will even listen

Anything 2 benefit d citizens is a no no

This SERAP and co should know that they have outlived their usefulness. Especially since they started talking from both sides of their mouth. Today, they are against corruption, tomorrow they are lending their voices in favor of the corrupt people.

Na today? Useless irresponsible Nigerian government won’t listen. Government is used to shortchanging Nigerians.

You can tell from electrification of a community.

Most communities in Nigeria bought poles, recline wires, transformers etc. Automatically these things becomes government property isn’t that a scam.

Nigerian government is useless and irresponsible, don’t expect anything better from this irresponsible government.

Good.....now is the right time to use those properties ...or don't we have dem anymore?

Wow that's nice
Imagine what isolation centre Diezani's property would look like
First class Isolation centre

This is a better idea instead of wasting money for new structures